Hosiery drying form



May 2, 1933. T. w. PROSSER HOSIERY DRYING FORM Filed June 20, 1929 Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED; S'i

" FFIICE THOMASW. PROSSER, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PARAMOUNT TEXTILE I MACHINERY 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS portions.

HOSIERY DRYING FORM Application filed June 20,

This invention relates to hosiery drying forms, the improvement residing particularly in the construction of the form to provide even drying of the several portions of a hosiery article placed upon the form.

Two types of hosiery drying forms are known to the prior art, the so-called flat form and the oval form. Each of these has its particular advantages, but there are also certain disadvantages resulting in the finished stockings due to the construction of the form. F or example, stockings finished upon the fiatforms have a tendency to lie flat when they are removed from the form and thus they satisfy this requirement of the trade; but it is found that they do not smooth out the wrinkles which occur in the reinforced portions of the stockings. In actual practice, stockings after they are removed from the flat forms are submitted to a pressing operation to put in the creases at the front and rear of the stocking, and at the'same time the wrinkles in the reinforced portions are pressed out. The flat forms referred to are those which have gen erally been used in connection with so-called drying boxes, and these are still in use to some extent in the trade.

lVith the advent of the so-called internally heated form, it was quite natural to attempt to make these forms flat and as nearly like the wooden boards theretofore in use as possible. Such forms were constructed and used, and the goods after being finished were submitted'to the pressing operation for putting in the creases and for smoothing out the wrinkles in the reinforced portions of the stockings. In order to complete the entire operation of finishing a stocking upon a form, the internally heated forms were provided with crease-producing edges, and some thickness was given to the form in order to somewhat stretch the fabric and thus insure removal of wrinkles in the reinforced The oval form disclosed in the patent to Butz No. 1,207,496 is typical of the type of form here referred to. This form, while inherently satisfactory in the finishing of stockings, is nevertheless thought 0 to be somewhat objectionable in that .after 1929. Serial No. 372,344.

referred to have made no provision for the I distribution of the heating medium so as to provide an even drying of the stockings. As is well understood, the heavier, reinforced portions of a stocking contain more moisture to be evaporated and, consequently, it takes longer for these portions to dry. In the meantime, the lighter fabric of the stocking has been dried, and where the stocking is of the extremely light fabric now so prevalent, it is found that the light fabric bakes on the form while the reinforced por tions dry and set.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a hosiery drying form which shall embody the advantages of the types of forms heretofore devised and which does not possess the disadvantages thereof, as above pointed out.

It is another object of my invention to provide a hosiery drying form of'varying cross-sectional area, the greater cross-sectional area being located in that part of the form which contacts with the reinforced portions of a stocking, and the remaining parts of the form being relatively fiat.

A form constructed in accordance with my invention possesses the advantageous feature of the flat form, in that the fabric, after being removed from the form, tends to lie fiat, and I also obtain the advantage of the so-called oval forms in that wrinkles in the reinforced portions of the stocking are smoothed out while the stocking is on the form, thus eliminating the subsequent pressing operation. Furthermore, by the construction of form which I have invented, a stocking is more uniformly dried, in that that part of the form whichcontacts with the reinforced portions of the stocking is of relatively greater cross-sectional area and thus contains a greater quantity of the heating medium. I g 7 Other objects of my invention, as well as the many advantages thereof, will be more (a i r.

invention proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of invention; but itis to be understood that the drawing is illustrative merely and that the invention is not confined to the details of construction therein disclosed. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the en iee us epti l f o r @111- bodiments than that herein described and illustrated, and that many modifications may be made, all falling within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

1 igure 1 is aside elevation of a hosiery drying form embodying my invention; and igures 2, 3, aand 5 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 2--2, 33, 4- and 5+5, respectively,of Fig. 1, these cross-sectional views being on an enlarged scale but maintaining substantially the same relative proportions. The hosiery drawing form of my invention isfcol'npofs ed of side Inem'bers'G, 6, terminating ina front crease-producing edge 7 and rear crease-producing edge 8. The sides the formm'ay be madelof'sheet inetal suitably secured together at the edges 7 and 8; orf'the form may be cast of aluminum or any other material found to be practical in actual use, It is to be understood also that the edges? and 8 need not necessarily be s"u bstantia'lly reduced to provide crease-producing-edges it 'm'ay'somet imes be desirable to leave the edges slightly rounded. lVhether the form he made of sheet metal or cast ofal-urninum, it will be so constructed that the side 'inembers 6 enclose a chamberor ca vityi9 adapted to contain any suitableheatin inedium, such as steam or hot water, it bein understood that my invention is 'not'confined to the, use of any particular type of heating medium.

The construction of my form by reason of which I accomplish the results pointed out will best be understood by referring to the sectional views disclosed in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive. 'Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the form, itakensthrough the foot portion, and shows that the cross-sectional area of the form is relatively greater in that 'part of the form which contacts with the double sole of the hosieryiarticle placed thereon.

The 'sectio'n'alview in Fig. 3 is taken at the ankle portion of the form, andshows that at this part of the form it is of relatively greater cross-sectional area where the heel reinforcement contacts with the form.

order to providefor the uniform drying of stockings havingthe ornamental types of heel reinforcement now so prevalent'in use, increase in the cross-sectional area may boextended a suitable"distancedown along the rear crease-producing edge. The increased cross-sectional area will taper gradually from about the ankle portion to a point along the calf, as is illustrated in Fig. 4 in which the increased cross-sectional area has practically vanished.

The sectional view in Fig. 5 discloses the construction of the form below the calf and it is seen that the form is here practically flat. This view, therefore, emphasizes the difference in cross-sectional area of the form in those parts with which the reinforced portions of astocking contact and the parts which contact with the lighter fabric of the stocking. l

Thus, the side members 6 of the hosiery drying form of my invention may be said to be bulged away from each other a greater distance at or near the rear crease-producing edge and in that part of the form with which the double sole of a stockingcontacts,

this bulging being gradually reduced from about the ankle section to a point near the calf, at which pointthe sides of the form are practically fiat and are practically uniforms ly spaced from each other. To make this somewhat clearer, it may be assumed that if a medial line be drawn from the toe of the form through the foot and down through the leg to the base of the form, the bulge constituting the thickest portion of the form will, in the foot portion and preferably in the lower leg portion, lie between the medial line and the rear edge of the form, and thereafter shift gradually inwardly away from the rear edge.

It will be seen that by this construction of the form, a relatively largerquantity of heating medium used is provided in that portionof the form which dries the several reinforced sections of astocking. Therefore, the reinforced portions will dry in substantially the same length of time as the lighter fabric of the stocking, thus providing uniform'drying and eliminating to a great extent the baking of the lighter fabric while the reinforced'sections are still to be thoroughly dried.

This construction of the form embodies,

therefore, the practical advantages of a fia't form and of an oval form, in that thewrinkles 1n the reinforced sections of a stocklng are effectually removed, and at the same time the stocking will lie flat. The'result'is materially to expedite production and, at the same time, produce a better and more uniform finish than is produced on forms here tofore constructed.

I claim: I

1. A hosiery'drying form having front and rear edges, said form in certain parts being of gradually increased thickness from the front to'the region of the rear 'ed'ge,and being of abruptlydecreased thickness tojthe rear edge.

2. A hosiery drying form hollow to contain a heating medium and provided with front and rear crease-producing edges, said form being of gradually increased transverse dimension from the front toward the rear crease-producing edge in certainparts of the form, said dimension being greatest along said rear edge, whereby to provide for uniform drying of the several portions of a hosiery article placed on the form.

3. A hosiery drying form having front and rear edges and comprising a foot portion and a leg portion, the cross-sectional area in certain parts of such form including the whole of the foot portion increasing gradually from one of said edges and increasing abruptly from the other edge in such manner that the form will be of greatest thickness at a point between the latter edge and a medial line passed longitudinally through the form and adjacent said edge.

l. A garment drying form hollowed to contain a heating medium, said form haV-J -vide a concentratlon of heatlng medlum in ing front and rear edges and sides ofuni.- form thickness, the sides in certain parts of the form being farthest apart immediately adjacent one of the edges to provide a bulge in the hollow interior permitting a concentration of the heating medium in the region of said edge, the form decreasing gradually in transverse dimension from the bulge to the other edge.

5. A garment drying form having curved sides, the curve of the sides varying intermediate the edges of the form in different longitudinal portions thereof, the region of greatest transverse thickness of the form lying along a longitudinal line intermediate the edges, said line at one end of theform extending in closer proximity to one of said edges than to theother and shifting grad ua-lly inwardly away from said edge towards the other end of the form.

6. A hosiery drying form comprising a foot portion and a leg portion having curved sides, the curve of the sides varying intermediate the edges of the form in different longitudinal portions thereof, the region of greatest transverse thickness of the form lying along a line intermediate the edges, said line in the foot portion and in the lower leg portion extending in closer proximity to one of said edges than to the otherand in the other parts of the form lying inwardly away from said edges.

7. A hosiery drying form hollow to contain a heating medium comprising opposing sides terminating in edges, the crosssectional contour of the hollow interior conforming generally to the cross-sectional contour between said edges of the exterior drying surface, the sides immediately adjacent one edge of the form being farthest spaced from each other to provide a concentration 05 heating medium in the region of said e ge.

8. A hosiery drying form hollow to contain a heating medium comprising opposing sides terminating in edges, the crosssectional contour of the hollow interior conforming generally to the cross-sectional contour between said edges of the exterior drying surface, said form having its greatest internal and external transverse dimensions immediately adjacent one edge to provide a concentration of heat radiating surface and heating medium adjacentsaid edge.

9. A hosiery drying form comprising 0pposing sides of light sheet material terminating in edges and which are spaced in termediate said edges to receive a heating medium, the cross-sectional contour of the hollow interior conforming generally to the cross-sectional contour between said edges of the exterior drying surface, said sides being bulged and farthest spaced from each other immediately adjacent one edge to prothe region of said edge, the sides tapering from said bulged edge portion to the other edge of the form. r

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

THOMAS W. PROSSER. 

